Cardiff wrote:Strange, Brum and Leed both have larger john lewis and are we an affluent area?

It says an affluent catchment rather than area. I think the mosaic classification of St Davids shoppers in more affluent than the local population as a whole.

I think Cardiff was the largest outside London when it was built but maybe isn't anymore. Its certainly never been one of the busiest. When they used to publish store-by-store sales changes, and rank them according to absolute (£s not %) change in sales volumes, the figures implied Cardiff pulled in less than places like High Wycombe, Cambridge, Solihull, despite being a much bigger store. I think it reflects poor showings in bigger goods like larger electricals, furniture, etc.

As previously mentioned, USC have closed their store original store and reopened within the Nike unit. Sadly they have not amended the interior or exterior which I'm surprised St Davids accepted (especially as the Nike tick is still clearly viasble on the wooden facade). Cheap job and it shows. Not a huge surprise nevertheless.

In other news Dune have closed for refurbishment and will reopen at the end of the month.

Additionally, Jacamo | Simply Be will be opening their first Welsh store on the Upper Grand Arcade. It will be in the unit previously occupied by Head Music / Dwell. Probably an appropriate letting for the centre and will most likely be a successful location for them. Good to see units slowly filling within the Grand arcade now... Hopefully they will do a full brand refit rather than just use the fixtures and decor left by Dwell. This is scheduled to open by the end of this month.

Finally a little update regarding Byron. Ceiling work has now commenced within the unit.

A Virgin travel store for no 11 (i think it used to be the Cardiff City store)

A Lovisa store for no 18 (next to the perfume shop). I'm not sure what Lovisa is but I think its a jeweller.

I emailed the powers that be around 8 months ago suggesting Lovisa as a potential tennant for Cathedral Walk so I'm really pleased to hear they're opening. Yes, Lovisa is an Australian jewellery brand with over 240 stores across the world.

2 very suitable lettings for Cathedral Walk! Great news... Quite a few new openings in the pipeline now!

Not really news, but stumbled across some early St Davids 2 designs from around 2001/2(?) I'd never seen before. Just thought I'd share. Wish they'd kept all those extra trees/bushes and stuck with a fountain for the end of the hayes instead of that hoop.